Enzo Maresca's brilliant reaction after Chelsea captain Reece James returned to training ahead of Liverpool

Chelsea have noticed the look in Enzo Maresca's eyes as he cheerfully watched Reece James join the team training ahead of this weekend’s Premier League trip to Anfield. James is eager for his first official minutes under the impressive Maresca, and both seemed to be in high spirits in the photos released by the club on Monday morning when he returned to training.

The Chelsea captain will hope that the nightmare of his injury struggles is now behind him and that he can get his career back on track after missing 129 games over the last five years. LondonWorld reported last week that the club was preparing to provide an update on the Chelsea captain as everyone anticipated his return in the coming weeks.

Just a few days after the report, the club confirmed that their captain has taken a significant step toward returning to the field, providing a major boost ahead of the big visit to top-of-the-table Liverpool this weekend.

The expression in the manager’s eyes during James's training session suggested he was pleased for the England star, smiling widely throughout. James had started games in pre-season and looked incredibly sharp before the setback occurred as they prepared for the final friendly against Inter Milan. Since then, he’s had to be patient while Chelsea climbed to fourth in the league table.

Liverpool Litmus Test

Chelsea will travel to Anfield after failing to defeat a ten-man Nottingham Forest side at home. The Blues were the better side for most of the game but will ultimately count themselves lucky to have earned a point, given that goalkeeper Robert Sanchez had to make two magnificent saves.

On the positive side, Enzo Maresca’s team remains unbeaten in the league since the opening-day loss to Manchester City. The manager is expected to address the media about whether his returning captain, James, will be ready for the match at Anfield this weekend.